Skirt and curtain supporting construction



Nov. 7, 1950 s. J. WEINZIMMER 2,528,848

SKIRT AND CURTAIN SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 50, 1946 -:blesupport lllke. V a It has been known to place about the forward .lengthof the area' with which it .-use the skirt.

Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE SKIRT AND CURTAINSUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION Samuel JWeinzimmer, New Rochelle, ApplicationMarch 30, 1946, Serial N0. 658,436

sticularly to that which is suited for the adjustaof skirts aboutdressing tables or; the

and side edges of a dressing table a skirt which is shiftable inposition so that when the skirt is *closed, the drawers or variousarticles beneath the table top are concealed and when the skirt isopened such articles are available for easy acfcessibility.

Such constructions have been largely confined to two types, one in whichthe skirts are carried "by pivotally -mounted arms to have a door likeaction and another in which the skirts are slida- 'bly mounted-upon rodsin a fashion similar to that utilized in connection with windowcurtains.

The principal objection to the last mentioned -form lies in the factthat the upper edge of the skirt'tends to bunch, gather and clog alonthe rod used for mounting the same so that said skirts are inconvenientinuse and unsightly in appearance. A further objection lies in the factthat upon each manipulation of the last mentioned skirts redraping isnecessary to produce the desired appearance.

It is therefore among the objects of the present "invention to provide askirt supporting construction, in which when it is desired to'haveaccess to the area beneath the table top the skirts may with which it isdesired to use the present device and said main channel is quickly andeasily made to conform tothe contour of the surface or ledge v withwhich it is used.

Another object'herein lies in the provision of main channel structurewhich may .be conveniently severed without the use of tools or withoutthe use of special tools to conform tov the is desired to Another objectherein lies in the provision-of a device of the character describedwhereinthe z'curtain as aunit offers very little resistance to .quickmanipulation in the opening and closing operations thereof.v Y w I Thisinvention relates generally to skirt and curtain supportingconstructions and more parinterchanged for a different decorativeeffect, or

may be laundered. a v A feature of the invention lies in the fact thatthe positioning'of one set of detachably engage.- able fastener membersmay be correlated with the remaining setso asto produce a predetermineddraped appearance in the upper portions :of the skirt or skirts v IAnother feature of the invention lies in the fact that when it isdesired to shift any of the skirt elements, the may be grasped at anydesired. point and by virtue of their connection to the elongatedcarrier element the entire skirt -may be shifted as desired; These-objects' -and other incidental ends and advantages will more fullyappear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in theappended claims. l} v In the drawings in .which similar refer- -,encecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

, Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the inventionwith theskirt elements removed and,prior to bending the same to conform.to the article of furniture with which it is associated.

Figure 2 is aview inperspective showing the .embodiment,of, Figure 1connected to an article of furniture and with the skirt elementspartially disconnected therefrom I Figure 3 isan enlarged fragmentaryfront elevational view of a portion of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view as seenfromthe plane 44 on Figure 2. I s

v Figure 5 is a fragmentary exploded view. 7 While I have chosen toillustrate my invention in connection with a pair of dressing tableskirts associated with a dressing table, by way of eX- .7 may be of anysuitable size, and may be broken upinto any desired'nurnber .of units.By way of front portion 22, a rear portion 23 and side por-.

tions 24 and 25.

In the illustrated embodiment there, are two units A and B which aresubstantially identical except that one may be referred to as a lefthand unit and the other as a right hand unit. For the purpose ofavoiding needless repetition only theunit A is described in detailandicertainiparts; f

in unit B are given the same reference characters with the addition of aprefix 1.

main mounting or frame element 35; means .3]

to secure the element 30 to the article withwhich it is used; anelongatedcarrier element"32 -means" 33 for movablymounting the carrierelement upon theframeeilement; a'skirt element-34 and means detachablyattaching theskirteleme'nt to the car-' ;rier jelement, indicate'dbyreference character '35.

', The'frame element lift-is preferably fabricated in relatively longstrips. ElemeritT-t-Ii includesa rear wall a B,topand-b6ttomwall'portions 31 and .33 respectively, and upper andjlowe'r -front wall portions 39 "and 49, whicnhaveupper and loweredges-4| and AL-"respectively. 'The edges 41 and 2 :are oppositelydisposed and-spaced a -substantial distance. Thus, the frame element?!)has ahollow channel 29. "a plura lity of spaced points longitudinallydisposed on the rear wall j tfi, psaid wall ,isprovided with-a-pluralityof'o'ri- Trees '43 which may {be penetrated 'by suitable means such asthe screw means 3| 'serving 't-o gsecure said frame element 30 to the"apron 2|. At spaced intervalsalong. theframe element 30 .the upperand.lower front-wall portions 39 and 40, as wellas the top and bottom wallportions c1 and. 38:are severed by aeplura-lity of'l lpper and lowernotches 43 and 44. By virtueof the last mentioned notches, the frame,element mayf-be bent to "conform the same tothe contours of "the articleof furniture pon which it 'is applied. For

example, in .the dressing table iyshown, the

frame element may'bebent togconformto the cornersZT and 28. Theacuteness of the'bends which the frameelement may makewillibeflimited'by"the flexibility of the carrier element described below, Not only do thenotches 43 and-44-permit the frame element 30 to'be bent, but'byimakingseveral bends in' line with ,a ,given pair of notches the metal or other"materialsinthe *rearwall 536 may becomefatigued,so-thatsaidframeelement may be readily broken at .that'point,'thus'obviat- .ing the need for other cutting means. It is preferab'lethat the effective width of thenotches or indentations 43 and 44be-relativelynarrowand while exaggerated in size in the. drawingsfort-he purpose .of clarity, they .may'in fact be-ordinary shearingslits. \Vhile I;have 'shown-the-top and bottom wall portions 31 and '38"as beingsembcylindrical.in cross-section, they may, Where demay be ofany suitable amount. three, four, or five inches have been foundsatisfactory. The preferred inter-spacing of the ori fices 41 willdepend upon the stiffness of the fastener tape or the upper edge of theskirt element as will more fully appear. It is desirable -=that the*idiStflIlGG betweensthe top :edge 45 and the bottom edge 45 beless'than theeffective distance between the inner opposed surfaces ofthe "top wall 31 and the bottom wall 38. 'iintzaeachofrthe points ofvertical support of the :skirltelement, there is provided an assemblygen- The present construction comprises'broadly "a erally indicated byreference character 50. The construction o'f'the assembly is best seenin Figsures-r1;and-%5,rand:includes an axle 5|, a wheel 52,

cennected With m-e assembly 355 ia-ndst-he femrle member 51 as beingconnected with the shift Cal 'E-The axle 5 1 includes ashoi'ilder portio?59 and df reducedidiameter. fThespla'te mounted upon the axle f5! 'or"may -be 'integrail "th thafilange :54. The wheel 52 includes twoperipheral flanges Bil :and 62 which 'are spac'ed from' each' other a.distancezsubstantially equal to or greater than theithickness of'the--upperg-and'lower front wallsportionsfisand 4B. In "assembled 3conitli'tion of the :assembly riifl, t-heshoulden portion 5 8 abutsagainst th-e forward .sur-face 53-{and the *combine'd anna-*1 thickness:of *the washer 53 and-the wheel 52 isisuch that'ithe wheel rna-y{freelyrritate abou'trsaid a-xle. The effective external-diameter er the:wheel :52 ibetween the "flanges 'B l andlyfl i's pref era'bly'slightlyless than the-distancebtween the edges 4;] ':and 42. The parts may bemiiritainedin the assembled position thereof by ;'swaging ever "the rear"terminal on" the .rear suff ace 64 to for'm a rivet head 6|.

'Th'e skirt element 34'=hasan upper edge 65, a lower edge -B 6 an-;out'er vertical edge 61 and an inner vertic'al edgej-GB, andfisxpreferably composed of a flexible-planar ma'terial. Depen'ding*upon'the fullness 0f the draping efiect desired -thelength*oftlie clothbetween the vertical edge 61 and 68-may b'e=equa1'to or'in-excess of thelength of 'the'carrienelement 32 with whichit is detachably connectable.Wherethe length -greatery-the upper; portionb'elow the edge 65 mayhavepreformed-gathers therein. =Diiferent-"metho'ds maybe "useddetachably connecting the "skirt element 34 tothecarrier'element 3'2,utilizing the structure described. In one *manner, a plurality offastener *meinbers =51 are connected 'to "the' skirt element 34a'diiacent the-upper edge 65 thereof. Ijhe fastener members 51 may be inthe form of {female fastener {members of a well known type hare securedldirectly to the fabric of'which-the' sk rt 3 4-is-compose'd.Alternatelyythe :meriiberS "51 :may be previously -in- 'tegrate'd "with"a -wll known snap fastener tape .69 which is in turn secured to theupperportion or the skirt 34in any'suitable manner iasfor"example'by"the'rows ofstit'chesm. in the lastmentioned eonstraction the'rnembersf 51 are spaced "along the upper edge portion-cf the; skirt 34distances substantially equal to tii 'spacing between The distances be-Intervals of zontally elongated in the upper portion thereof and has acentral downwardly directed iindem tation' 15. In a prefer .theinvention the track or f ame el ment 3!] extends beyond the normallength of the'carrier element 32 at: distance substantially. equal tothe; space red arrangement; pursuant which it is desired to clearwhenthe skirt element 34 is laterally shifted longitudinally of the frameelement 30. With the skirt element connected to the several assemblies50 by the snap fasteners or hooks previously described, the innervertical edge of the skirt element 34, preferably adjacent the upperedge 65 thereof, may be manually grasped and moved to the left as viewedin Figure 2. The movement of the skirt element is transmitted to thecarrier element which on the rollers or wheels 52 slides easily alongthe path made for it by the frame element. Thus, the portion C may bemoved to occupy the area formerly occupied by the portion D while theportion D will move generally rearwardly to lie rearwardly of and belowthe rear apron portion 23. The other skirt element is capable ofcorresponding operation.

Obviously, any suitable means may be utilized for securing the frameelement or track 30 to the article of furniture I I. Thus, where thearticle is composed of sheet metal, the screws 3! may be of that type.Where the track is installed at the factory it may be welded or rivetedin place.

While I have described the notches 43 and 44 as being relatively narrowin a horizontal direction, these notches may be widened to permit thetrack to form concave bends in the direction of the opening between theedges 4| and 42. The degree of widening of said notches will depend uponthe degree of arcuately concave bends required so that buckling of theform of the track even when the track is made of light weight materialmay be minimized. While I have implied that the manufacture of severalof the parts would be satisfactory if said parts were composed of metalthey may be made of other materials, as for example, plastics. Theprincipal special requirements are that the rear wall 36 be bendable andthat the carrier element be flexible and preferably resilient. Where itis intended that the structure be used in connection with rectilineararrangement of the track element the notches therein may be omitted witha consequent loss of their function. Even on straight runs, however, thenotches assist in breaking the track to the desired length. By virtue ofthe fact that the distance between the upper and lower edges 45 and asof the carrier element is greater than the distance between the edges 4!and 42 on the track element relatively thin stock may be utilized forthe carrier element with a consequent reduc-' tion; in cost and weightwithout undesirable buckling occurring in the carrier element as thebuckling is limited by the distance between the front surface of therear wall 36 and the rear surfaces of the front wall portions 39 and 40.Where it is desired to limit the movement of the carrier elementlongitudinally with respect to the track element, the track element maybe pinched agezieea as thereof or detects formed by -forr psetting the'p'ortion of the rearwallo'r upsettingi the front i w all portion "orset maesto-the exact details ofconstruction andr' described for obvious"modifications 'occurto a persor'i' skilled in the art. -'"'1aim 4; 3 1

For usew1th"an*article-of furniture and a thereforfstructure for movablymounting skir withi'e'spect'to said article,'comprisin g: ated trackelement having a plurality of v 'se*n'ot'ches' spaced"therealong wherebys'azclitracl r' lenient maybe bent'to *conform the same to I econtour'sof said article; an elongated flexible unitary carrier elementwhich changes in shape to: conform to *theshape ofthe path of travelofthe 'carrie'r element as "it moves along the track, ielement,= and atleast longer than the distance between two of said notches which arenext to each other; means supporting said carrier element on said trackelement including a plurality of members fixed in position and spacedalong said carrier element and supported thereby, said members engagingsaid track for guiding the movement of the carrier element along thetrack element, whereby said members are inhibited against entering saidnotches individually and the carrier element is movable as a unitparallel to said track element.

2. Structure as claimed in claim 1 including means to detachably attachsaid skirt to the carrier element.

3. Structure as claimed in claim 1 including means to attach the trackelement to article of furniture.

4. For use with an article of furniture and a skirt therefor, structurefor movably mounting said skirt with respect to said article,comprising; an elongated track element including a rear wall, a bottomwall portion, and a lower front wall portion having a lower free edge;said bottom wall portion, lower front wall portion, and

free edge having a plurality of transverse notches spaced therealongwhereby said track element may be bent to conform the same to thecontours of said article, said notches changing in size to accommodateto the bending of said rear wall; a unitary carrier element; means forattaching said skirt to said carrier element; said carrier element beingin the form of an elongated strip of bendable material which changes inshape to conform to the shape of the path of travel of the carrierelement as it moves along the track element, and having a plurality ofmembers mounted thereon and disposed between the carrier element and thetrack element, said members being spaced along the carrier element andengaging said lower free edge of the track for supporting said carrierelement therefrom at a plurality of spaced points, whereby individualmembers are inhibited against entering said notches and the carrierelement and skirt are movable as a unit

